“Human reason is troubled by questions that it cannot dismiss, but also cannot answer.”- Kant

So what are we talking about here…

Morality? Choice? Randomness of life? Murder?

Taking this philosophical opinion from Kant, Woody ventures into the new tale of his latest movie plot.

Irrational Man is a story of a middle-aged philosophy (Ethical Strategies) professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix), who has trouble finding “inspiration to breath” in his life and so, his only option is to drink through his days. He’s simply bored of the sufferings of meaningless day-to-day existence. He’s very radical and original. You either love him or hate him.

Jill (Emma Stone), his young, bright-eyed student who is fascinated by his sufferings, desires to know him on a much deeper level and in doing so falls in love with Abe, and out of it with her serious but naive (young) boyfriend.

One day, “randomness” strikes their lives. A serendipitous encounter causes excitement in Lucas’s life and he thinks he has finally found a reason to live. He finally decides to stop whining and to take actions in his own hands. He calculates his activities in favour of someone he doesn’t know (pure altruism with a dash of selfishness) and this brings his existential crisis to a riveting adventure.

The movie moves back and forth with the voice over narrations of Jill and Abe; one (Abe) voicing his troubles and the other (Jill) trying to figure out those troubles. This is what made the film have a gripping artistic quality about it. The audience is left to choose which side of the argument are they on or want to be at least.

The idea of randomness in life was very well portrayed in Allen’s previous work with Match Point and now this film tries to do the same with the similar idea but in a different light. Getting away with murder in a godless universe is what Allen tries to show through these films; or is it just pure chance that governs our lives?

Almost each (I might be exaggerating) Woody film starts with despair and ‘life is meaningless and there is no god’ but, ends with completely instilling the audience with a hope for a better tomorrow or a second chance.

See, there’s a difference between the theoretical world of philosophy bullshit and the real life (nasty, ugly life). There is the classic economic “Problem of choice” one is confronted with.

What world would you chose to live in? The answer to which can only be found in your “Rationale”.

Irrational Man is an American mystery drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey and Jamie Blackley; with great work (yet again) done by Darius Khondji for cinematography. Soundtrack was unlike any other Woody classics but suits the background.

The Irrational man released in 2015 has much homage to works of Alfred Hitchcock (of course, in notable Woody Allen style). It received mix reviews from the critics.